Improvement in chemical fire-extinguishers



Azsheets-sheeu.

'J. E. CHAPMAN & D. J. TAPLEY.

CHEMICAL FIRE EXTINGUISHER. Y No .179,894. Patented Ju1y1a,1a7e.

IIIII y ZSheetS-SheetZ. J. E. CHAPMAND. J. TAPLEY.

CHEMICAL F'IRE EXTINGUISHER. N0,179,894 Patented July 18, 1876.

NA PETERS. PH0T -LITHQGRAFHERl WASHINGTON, D12.

JEREMIAH E. OHAPMAN,4OF DANVERS, MASSACHUSETTS, AND DANIEL J. TAPLEY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO SAID TAPLEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN CHEMICAL FIRE-EXTINGUISHERS.

' Specih'cation forming part of Letters Patent No. 179,894, dated July 18, 1876; application tiled December 29, 1875.

This invention consists in a series of im-y provements upon the repeating fire-extinguisher for which Letters Patent ot' the United States were granted to Daniel J. Tapley on August 4, 1874, and are numbered lt is our intention to continue the use of a portion of the devices therein contained and described, in connection with the new and novel arrangements comprised in our present invention, as will be hereinafter fully pointed out and described.

The new devices forming the subject of the present application for Letters Patent are, first, a new form and method of applying the plug, cap, or head for closing the opening or port in the top ofthe vessel, which cap or plug carries attached to its upper surface all the mechanism for operating the bar forcrushing the acid-cartridge; second, in an improved form of cage or cell for holding the acid-cartridge in position in the vessel when ready for use, and the means employedV for holding said acid-cartridge in said cage or cell, and permitting its ready removal or the insertion of a new cartridge.

In the drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure l is an elevation, partially in section, of a chemical reextinguisher in which is embodied our invention. Fig. 2 is a plan or top Vview of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section takenon line x in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the cage or cell, taken on line a a in Fig. l; and Fig. 5 is a side view of a part of the same.

Similar letters of reference inthe various igures ofthe drawings will indicate corresponding parts.'

The object of the present invention is to produce a chemical re extinguisher which Shall have its working parts and operative mechanism so constructed and applied that they are beyond the reach of the deleterious action of the chemicals contained in the body of the vessel, and forming the charge of the same. This desideratum fully gained insures the good order and action ot' the apparatus at any and all times when needed for use, Without any regard to theflength ot time that has elapsed since the machine was charged.

As is well known in the common tire-extinguishers, the usua-l method of attaching the head to the body ot' the vessel is by means ot' the common male screw-thread cut on the periphery of the head or cap below the packing. This form ot' construction necessarily brings the screw-thread in contact with the chemical solution in the vessel, and, consequently, the corrodin g 'action occasioned thereby, after the machine has been standing unused for a few lnonths, causes the screw-threads to adhere so strongly as to render it difficult and impossible to remove the parts for the purpose ot' recharging. Much annoying' and often dangerons delay is caused from this defect in the construction ot' lire-extinguishers, and a remedy for the same is absolutely demanded, in order to render the system of chemical fireextinguishers a practical success.

VBy the method ot' construction, as embodied in the present invention, the difficulty mentioned is entirely obviated.` The usual male and female screw-threads are entirely dispensed with, and all of the operating and working parts are-brought outside of the vessel, and above the packing; consequently they 'are entirely beyond the action ot' the chemicals and their corrosive power. The operative parts are also easily accessible for the purpose of cleaning or oililig, both ot' which can be readily accomplished without danger ot' disturbing the charge of acids or chemicals. Other objections also exist to the use ot' screwthreads. In the hurry of recharging in the time of need at a tire the screw-thread often fails to properly enter, and, by catching and wedging, frequently entails a serious delay, defeating the usefulness of the apparatus.

By the present form of construction, the outer base of the cap, plug, or head lies dat on the surface ofthe metal disk at the opening PATENTv Grt-rca in the top of the vessel, until it is turned into place and fastened by the recess formed in the projections on the disk to receive it; hence it will be seenl that it is simply impossible to euter it in a wrong position, or for the section of a thread to fail to enter its place if the plug or head is turned. The sectional thread also has the great advantage of being more rapidly manipulated, as a single quarter-turn brings the head to its place and i'astens it securely in position.

The methods now in general use for holding the glass acid-cartrid ge in position, for the action thereon ofthe fracturing devices, and the methods of introducing and retaining the saine in the cell provided for that purpose, have also proven to be very defective; and it is a part of my present invention to provide a means for obviating all objections in that connection.

A designates the cylindrical shell of the vessel or recxtixiguisllei'. It is constructed from sheet metal, in the usual manner, which calls for no speciiic description. The top of the shell of the vessel is made concave, for the purposes as will presently be more fully pointed out. B is a cap, plug, or head, arranged for closing the port or inlet-opening of the shell A. To this plug or head, and on its upper surface, are attached all of the operating parts, while depending from its base is the cell or cage which receives and retains the acid-cartridge. This arrangement is such that when the cap or plu g is removed from the vessel all of these parts are removed with it, leaving the vessel intact'in itself'. To the top of the head or plug B, at the rim 011 its outer edge, I attach two handles, G C', by means of which the plug or head is handled and operated. On the periphery of this plug or head, and extending therefrom beyond the packingring, is formed a section of a male screwthread, a, (between the two handles C and C,) which is inclined, as shown plainlyv in Fig. l. The base of the plug or head B eX- tends down into the port or inlet-opening in the top of the vessel, as shown in Figs. l and 3. Attached to this base is the cage or cell D, which receives and retains the glass acidcartridge E. This cage is cast from brass or other non-corrosive composition metal in open frame-work, as shown plainly in Fig. 1. lt is open at its lower end, and is of such diameter as to receive easily and snugly the acid-cartridge. The cage is attached to the base of the plug or head B by means of a series of arms, F, of which two only are shown in the drawings. The base of these arms is shaped so as to form stops or rests b, upon which the acid-cartridge rests when the vessel is inverted. At the base of the cage or cell D is provided a bail, Gr, which is pivoted and swings on two studs, c c, attached to two sides of the cage near its base. This bail G is formed from sheet-brass of high temper, and is so shaped that when in the position shown in the drawingit acts as a spring and hugs the sides of the circular cage. Its upper ends, at the point where it is hung on the studs c c, are enlarged, as shown in Fig. 5. These ends are bent in circular form to coincide with the shape of the cage D, as shown plainly in sectional view in, Fig. 4. It is plainly evident that this bail will hug the cage so closely that there is no danger of its moving its position, and when moved to permit the entrance of the acid-cartridge the ends at the pivots must necessarily spread and give to the shape of the cage, and by reason of the spring occasioned thereby it will remain at any point until it is returned to its normal position. For convenience in handling, a small projecting spur, d, is attached to the base of the bail, against which' to push in moving the bail.

Extending through a slot in the center of the plug or head B is the breaking-bar 1, which moves in a guide, J, supported in and by a standard, K, attached to the plug or head B. Said breakin g-bar is providedv with a toothed rack, L, at the upper end, into which gears a toothed sector, N, on the end of the lever M, pivoted to the standard K.

lt is plainly seen that by lifting the said lever M the breaking-bar I will be forced downward to crush in the top of the acid-cartridge E, as shownl plainly in Fig. 3. The lower eX- tremity of the bar I has .a central point or spur, t', which projects beyond two or more other and laterally-situated spurs, i and i". When the breaking-bar is forced downward by the means as above described its entire power is concentrated upon the central point i, which starts the fracture of the glass. This being done, the action following otl the lateral spurs or points z" and i extends the area acted upon, and spreads the fracture to permit the immediate and full outflow of the acid from the glass cartridge. The top of the vessel or extinguisher has a concave depression. This shape is given by means of asheet-metal disk suitably shaped and soldered therein, or by lneans of solder itself, as may be preferred. At the center there is formed in the shell A a port or inlet-opening: Into this opening is inserted a disk, O, cast from brass. This is riveted, soldered, or otherwise fastened to the shell A, so as to be rigidly held in place. It has two projections, P and P', cast with it, or made separately, projecting upwardly and opposite each other. These projections have cut into their inner face an inclined groove or recess, 11. n, the equivalent for a female screw-thread, and into which thc male sectional screw-thread a on the head B is turned at the proper time.

As shown plainly in FiO. 3, the cap, plug, or head B, with the cage D, is passed into the vessel A through the opening in the disk O, the outer edges of the plug B resting in the seat on the disk O. The usual packingrings (not shown in the drawings) are inserted in between the plug B and disk O. The plug or head B is then given a quarterturn, and the sectional threads-c at once pass into the inclined groove formed in the projections P and P' on the neck O to receive it. The head is turned until the point is reached on the inclined thread a, that fills the recess snugly, which then eftectually closes the inletopening in the neck O ofthe vessel. S is a seat formed on the upper end of an arm extending from the standard K. This seat has a depression on the top, coinciding in size with and for the purpose of receiving the lever M. When this lever is depressed into this seat its surface is ush with that of the seat. A seal of Wax is then applied, covering the surface of both in such manner that any tampering with the machine by lifting the lever would at once be indicated by the fracturng of the seal. This method of sealing insures the perfect order of the machine at all times.

It is important to note the fact that as the cage or cell D, containing the acid-cartridge, breaking-bar I, standard K, rack L, lever M, and sector N, seat and seal S, are all attached to and carried by the head B, the aforesaid parts will act in co-operation with each other for the purposes as described, irrespective of any particular posit-ion of the head B, when adjusted and attached to the Vessel. It should also be particularlyr noted that all of the said operative parts attached to the top y ofthe head are, when in position, sunken in the concave depression in the top of the vessel, the elevated rim of which serves to pro tect the said working parts from any injury in case of accident to the vessel by falling, or from any undesigned movement ofthe leverM.

It is our intention to continue the use of the knapsack or bolster, and the foraminated funnel or strainer, as shown, described, and

claimed in Tapleys patent, No. 153,690, of August 4, 1874.

Having thus fully described our invention,

what we claim as new, and desire to secure by 1. The projections P and P', cast as a part of,'or otherwise formed and attached to, the neck O, or to the shell A of a tire-extinguisher, said projections provided on their inner sides with a groove or recess, n n, arranged and adapted for the reception .of a section of a male screw-thread, substantially as and for the purposes as herein shown and set forth.

2. In a chemical fire-extinguisher, the plug or head B, provided with a section of a male screw-thread, a, projecting from its periphery, and extending beyond the packingrings, and arranged and operating in combination with the recess or grooves n u, formed in the neck O, substantially as and for the purposes as herein shown and set forth.

3. In a chemical fire-extinguisher, the bail JEREMIAH E. CHAPMAN. DANIEL J. vTAPLEY.

In presence of- A. L. MUNsoN, H. C. BABoooK. 

